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Mimi Zweig StringPedagogy.com

Volume Two

Establishing a Healthy Foundation

INDEX

Overview

• Introduction
• Topic I: Getting Ready to Move
• Topic II: Moving Right Along - Indexed by stages and by categories
• Link Pages
• Video Clips

INTRODUCTION

• Welcome
• What do we need to find the flow?
  • Topic I: Getting Ready to Move
  • Topic II: Moving Right Along
• Stages and categories in Topic II
• Growing a healthy foundation

TOPIC I: GETTING READY TO MOVE

• Principles
• The body’s physical set-up
  • Aligning the body
• Placing the instrument
• Balancing the bow hand
• Balancing the left hand
• Positive learning environment

For a thorough explanation of these principles please refer to Volume One: Starting the Beginning Violinist

INDEX OF TOPIC II BY STAGES: MOVING RIGHT ALONG

STAGE ONE

Kreutzer: Martelé, Detaché, and Legato with Kreutzer #2

Introduction

• The fundamental strokes

Preparation for the strokes

• The Thumb – VIP of the bow hand
• Whole bow exercises
• The Train Story

The Martelé Stroke

• Kreutzer #2 with Martelé

The Detaché Stroke

• Kreutzer #2 with Detaché

The Legato Stroke Bowing Variations in Kreutzer #2

• The “Z “ or Travel Bowing
• The “Either/Or” Bowing

Scales

• Martelé
• Slurs
• Rhythms
• Separate Bows (Detaché)
• Arpeggios
• Listen for and be aware of...

Shifting

• Introduction
• The Iceberg Principle
• The Successful Shift !
• Things to keep in mind
• Shifting on One Finger Scales

Finger Dexterity

STAGE TWO

Kreutzer

• The Viotti Stroke
• Complete the variations of Kreuzter #2

Scales

• Martelé
• Slurs
• Rhythms
• Separate Bows (Detaché)
• Arpeggios
• Listen for and be aware of...

Shifting

Types of Shifts

• Anticipated
• Delayed

Scales on one string using different finger combinations
Sevcik, Opus 8

Finger Dexterity

STAGE THREE

Kreutzer

• Continue to review martelé, detaché, and the Viotti stroke in Kreuzter #2
• Begin Kreutzer #5 with martelé and detaché 
• Introducing the Ricochet stroke
• Kreutzer #5 with the Ricochet stroke
• Begin Kreutzer #3 – detaché and shifting
• Remain aware, Review, Reinforce

Scales

• Broken Thirds and Chromatics

Shifting

• Sevcik, Opus 8
• Shifting Shorthand

Finger Dexterity

Repertoire

Vibrato

STAGE FOUR

Kreutzer

• Begin Kreutzer # 6 with Martelé
• Introduce Spiccato
• Kreutzer #6 with Spiccato
• Kreutzer #4 with Up bow and Down bow Staccato

Scales

Shifting

Finger Dexterity

Repertoire

Vibrato

STAGE FIVE

Kreutzer

• Introduction 
• Kreutzer 7-14
  • Kreutzer # 7 : String Crossing, Martelé, Collé 
    • The Collé Stroke
  • Kreutzer # 8: Detaché, Intonation, and Sautillé
    • The Sautillé Stroke
  • Kreutzer #9: Finger Dexterity
  • Kreutzer #10: Shifts, Bow division, Harmonics, Collé
  • Kreutzer #11: Anticipated (silent) shifts
  • Kreutzer #12: Shifting and Full Detaché Tone
  • Kreutzer #13: String Crossings, Whole Bow Martelé, Chords, Left Hand Facility, Left Hand Pizzicato
  • Kreutzer #14: Bow Control With String Crossings, Intonation, Shifting
• The Trill Etudes: Kreutzer #15-22
• Kreutzer #15
  • The Impulse Trill
• Kreutzer #16
• Kreutzer #17
• Kreutzer #18
• Kreutzer #19
• Kreutzer #20
• Kreutzer #21
• Kreutzer #22

Scales

Shifting

Finger Dexterity

Repertoire

Vibrato

LINK PAGES

BOW STROKES LINK PAGE

• Stage One
  • Martelé
  • Detaché
  • Legato
• Stage Two
  • Viotti Stroke
• Stage Three
  • Ricochet
• Stage Four
  • Spiccato
  • Up and Down Bow Stacatto
• Stage Five
  • Sautillé
  • Collé

SCALES LINK PAGE

Outline of Scales

Introduction

Suzuki Book I Level

• A Major – One Octave (Twinkle)
• A Major – One Octave - Expanding the Bow (O Come, Little Children)
• D Major – One Octave (Perpetual Motion)
• G Major – Two Octaves (Etude)

Suzuki Book II Level

• D Minor – One Octave (Two Grenadiers)
• B-Flat Major – Two Octaves (Gavotte from Mignon)
• A Minor – Two Octaves (Gavotte by Lully)

Suzuki Book III Level

• D and C Major Two Octave Scales in Third Position

Suzuki Book IV (Vivaldi Concerto level)

• Three Octave Scale Study
  • Martelé
  • Slurs
  • Rhythms
  • Separate Bows (Detaché)
  • Arpeggios
  • Listen for and be aware of
• Scales in Double Stops

Advanced Scale Study

• Four Octave Scales

SHIFTING LINK PAGE

• BASIC CONCEPTS OF SHIFTING 
  • Introduction
  • The Iceberg Principle
  • Types of Shifts
  • Shifting Shorthand
  • Extensions
• PEDAGOGY OF SHIFTING
  • Pre-Shifting Motions
  • Preparatory Exercises
  • Whistler, Introducing the Positions
  • Stage One Shifting Exercise
  • Stage Two Shifting Exercise
  • Sevcik, Opus 8

VIBRATO LINK PAGE

Releasing the vibrato impulse

Preparatory Vibrato Exercises

• Setting Up the Vibrato Impulse
  • Tapping
  • Peg Knockers
• The Most Useful Vibrato Exercise
  • Wiggling Fingers

Exercises for Refining the Vibrato

• Releasing the Arm Vibrato
  • Mountains and Plains
  • Half Step Finger Slides
• Releasing the Arm, Wrist, and Fingers
  • Wiggling on the Impulse
• Regulating the Impulse
  • Wiggling with the Metronome
• One Finger, One String, One Octave
• Using the Trill to Release the Impulse
  • Kreutzer #15
• Releasing the Head, Neck, and Back
  • Using the Wall for Support

Musical Expression - speed and style of the vibrato

Examples of Vibrato Exercises at the Book II Level

Video Clips

TOPIC I: Getting Ready to Move
The Physical Set-up

ALIGNING THE BODY

• Alignment
  • Hitchhiking Duck Clock
• Lengthening
  • IU
• Centering
  • Finding the Violin Position

BALANCING THE LEFT HAND

• Left Hand Finger Action
  • Elevator fingers

BALANCING THE RIGHT HAND

• From frog to tip: Bow position
• Silent bow placements, whole bow circles and silent bow placements
• From tip to frog: The Train Story
• Motion of the Right Hand

TOPIC II: Moving Right Along
Process, Content, Technique

STAGE ONE

Kreutzer

• Bowing to Success
  • 4,2, 1 Martelés per bow
• The Martelé stroke with Kreutzer #2
• The Detaché stroke with Kreutzer #2
• Speed of bow exercise
• Bowing Types with Kreutzer #2
  • The “Z” bowing
  • The Either/Or bowing
• Intonation Practice
  • Remembering Tonic with Kreutzer #2

Scales

• The Journey Through the Three Octave G Major Scale

• Martelé
• Slurs
• Rhythms
• Detaché
• Three Octave G Major Arpeggios

Shifting

• Long Silent Shifts
• One Finger Scales
  • Always returning to tonic

Dexterity

• Finger Dexterity
  • Schradieck #1

STAGE TWO

Kreutzer

• Viotti stroke
• Understanding Tension and Release in Violin Playing [Bowing]

Shifting

• Point, shift, set
• Anticipated Shifts
  • Sevcik Shifting Op. 8 #1/2

Dexterity

• Left Hand Extensions

STAGE THREE

Kreutzer

• More Martelé – Releasing the Right Thumb – Kreutzer #5
• The Real Test of the Bow Arm – Reality Check Ricochet with Kreutzer #5
• Detaché and Shifting – Kreutzer #3

Vibrato: Go to the Vibrato Link Section

STAGE FOUR

Kreutzer

• The Spiccato Stroke
  • Kreutzer #6
• Up Bow Staccato
  • Kreutzer #4

Finger Dexterity

• String Crossings
  • Schradieck #4

STAGE FIVE

Kreutzer

• The Collé Stroke
  • The Whole Bow in Miniature
• The Sautillé Stroke
  • Kreutzer #8
• Learning the Fingerboard
  • Harmonics: Kreutzer #10
• Shifting Checkup
  • Remember the Journey: Kreutzer #11
• Expect the Unexpected
  • Kreutzer #13
• Kreutzer #15

SCALES LINKS

EARLY SCALE ROUTINES
[in the early stages, organized by the Suzuki literature]

• Twinkle – from Volume One
  • Twinkle Rhythms – A Major
• O Come Little Children
  • One Octave A Major
• Etude
  • Two Octave G Major

ADVANCED SCALE ROUTINES

• The Journey Through the Three Octave G Major Scale
  • Martelé
  • Slurs
  • Rhythms
  • Detaché
• Three Octave G Major Arpeggios
• Four Octave G Major Scale Routine

SHIFTING LINK

PREPARING TO SHIFT – GETTING READY TO SHIFT

• Long Silent Shifts
• Matching Harmonics
• Fingerboard Promenade
  • Taps and Swings
• Play, Pluck, and Shift Up the Scale
• Slide and Pluck
  • Octave Harmonic to First Position
• Matching Notes String to String
• Point-Shift-Set

DEMONSTRATION

• Anticipated and Delayed Shifts
  • Silent and Expressive

SHIFTING EXERCISES

• Early Shifts, A Thorough Investigation
  • Whistler, Introducing The Positions
• Advanced Shifts, A Continuing Exploration
  • Sevcik, Op. 8, Exercise #1, 2

EXTENSIONS

• Extensions – reaching back and reaching forward

VIBRATO LINK

• Setting Up the Vibrato Impulse
  • Tapping and Peg Knockers
• The Most Useful Vibrato Exercise
  • Teacher Wiggling the Student’s Fingers
• Releasing the Arm Vibrato
  • Mountains and Plains, Half Step Finger Slides
• Releasing the Arm, Wrist, and Fingers
  • Wiggles on the Impulse
• Regulating the Impulse
  • Wiggles with the Metronome
• One Finger, One String, One Octave
• Releasing the Head, Neck, and Back
  • Using the Wall for Support
• Using the Trill to Release the Impulse
  • Kreutzer #15
• Vibrato Exercises at the Suzuki Book Two Level

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